Correspondence, reports, and other materials created or collected by Rex Quinn in his roles as Superintendent of the Seminole Agency and as Chief Tribal Operations Officer with the BIA in the 1950s and 1960s.

Extent:

6.75 Linear feet. 18 Boxes.

Identification:

MS 145

Language(s):

English

Access:

Researchers should consult with Special Collections staff before using the collection because there are access restrictions. See the Access note for more information.

Reginald "Rex" W. Quinn served as Superintendent of the Seminole Agency in Hollywood, Florida, from 1965 until his retirement in 1968. A Sisseton Sioux, he was born April 27, 1913 in South Dakota and spent the majority of his adult life working for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, beginning in 1935. His field work with the BIA took him around the country to locations such as Nevada, South Dakota, North Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin, and Washington, D.C. He served in several positions throughout his career, and by the 1950s he had become one of the BIA's leading experts in the development of tribal constitutions.

In 1956, he was appointed Chief Tribal Operations Officer for the BIA. In this position, Quinn worked closely with the Seminole Tribe in 1957 when it organized its Tribal Council and Board of Directors under a new constitution and charter. This relationship with the tribe eventually led to his appointment as Superintendent of the Seminole Agency in 1965. As Superintendent, he worked closely with tribal leaders such as Billy Osceola and the members of the Seminole Reservations at Brighton, Big Cypress, and Hollywood (Dania). His work focused on areas such as the Seminole cattle program, land use, housing, education, and tribal government, among other issues.

Correspondence, reports, financial statements, memoranda, photographs, publications. The collection primarily includes material created or collected by Quinn in his roles as Superintendent of the Seminole Agency and as Chief Tribal Operations Officer with the BIA in the 1950s and 1960s. A large portion of material pertains to the Seminole Tribe of Florida, including land use, cattle, housing, financial matters, tribal governance, health, welfare, and census data. Non-Florida tribes are well-represented in this collection as well, primarily through reports, publications, historical summaries, and Indian Claims Commission dockets and docket summaries. A significant portion of the collection deals with the administration and policy of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Topics include tribal governance, agriculture, funds, tribal relations, land use, constitutions and charters, claims, tribal operations, and legislation. Also included is the correspondence of K.A. Marmon, Seminole Agency Superintendent in the 1950s; Billie Osceola of the Seminole Tribe; and Virgil Harrington, Seminole Agency Superintendent from 1958 to 1963. A small number of photographs represent subjects such as Seminole housing and construction sites on the Seminole Reservations at Big Cypress and Brighton.

Access

The collection is open for research. However, due to the private nature of some materials, access to portions of the Rex Quinn Papers is restricted. The collection is restricted because files contain private information including sensitive financial information and biographical data. This restriction of access is indicated at the beginning of each series description in the guide to the collection. Access to restricted collections requires permission from Department Staff, and will be determined on a case by case basis

This series contains material created or collected by Quinn in his role as Superintendent of the Seminole Agency in Florida from 1965 to 1968. A large number of the files pertain to land use, including Reservation lands and realty, cattle ranching (grazing lands), forestry, housing, home improvement, and construction. Financial documents include credit reports, budgets, and annual statements made by the tribe to the BIA. Other topics include tribal governance and organization, community service and development, the Agricultural Extension Service, welfare, health, and census material. A large number of the documents included in this series are reports, financial statements, memoranda, and correspondence.

Access to this series is restricted because files contain private information, including sensitive financial information and biographical data. Access to restricted collections requires permission from Department Staff, and will be determined on a case by case basis

The majority of the materials in this series pertain to Quinn's work as Chief Tribal Operations Officer with the BIA in the 1950s and 1960s. A significant portion of the files are related to tribal governance and tribal funds. Other materials include orientation/training materials, reports, census materials, background information on tribes, and legal material (e.g., laws pertaining to tribes). Topics include tribal relations, agriculture, BIA policy, land use, tribal constitutions and charters, tribal funds, the Indian Reorganization Act, and tribal claims.

Access to this series is restricted because files contain private information, including sensitive financial information and biographical data. Access to restricted collections requires permission from Department Staff, and will be determined on a case by case basis

The files in this small series also pertain to Quinn's work as the BIA Chief Tribal Operations Officer (see Series 2), but these files were set aside from other BIA materials and categorized as "Special Problems" files by Quinn. The files consist primarily of reports of tribal operations that identify or address special problems present in certain tribes of regions (e.g., Alaska, Minneapolis).

This series includes publications, histories, and reports about various non-Florida tribes. Most materials are filed according to tribal name, but some are filed according to geographic region or location. The majority of the files are arranged according to tribal name, but some are filed according to geographic region or location.

The materials in this series pertain to tribal claims before the Indian Claims Commission. The files include reports, ICC dockets, docket summaries, legislation, and publications. Most materials are filed according to tribal name, but some are filed according to geographic region or location.

This small series includes photographic prints and negatives separated from files located throughout this collection. A number of the items pertain to Seminole housing and construction sites on the Seminole Reservations at Big Cypress and Brighton. Other topics include Sioux and Chippewa delegations and Lower Brule, South Dakota.

Indians of North America--Claims. Indians of North America--Government relations. Seminole Indians--Tribal government.Seminole Indians.Seminole Tribe of Florida--Constitution.Seminole Tribe of Florida.Tribal government--Florida. United States. Bureau of Indian Affairs.